The Journey
This journey is over! See here for a complete report
Welcome! These pages present this year's adventure. We are going on a trip of the North-Eastern states of India. This year, I have Krishnaprasad (KP) for company. We have a plan to tour Bhutan too, but we aren't too sure of what will happen on that front.
We will be flying from Bangalore to Agartala on the 9th of Decemeber. We have a return flight from Bagdogra on the 2nd of January. In between those dates, we will be traversing the states of Tripura, Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh & Sikkim. If possible, we will cross over Bhutan to Sikkim. If we can't go to Bhutan, then we will compensate by covering Meghalaya!
The North-Eastern states are, I feel, not very well integrated with the rest of India. That lends a touch of mystery that we intend to unravel. During the trip, We will try to update this site with events, stories, pictures and routes. Feel free to browse this site. Anonymous comments are allowed, so posting comments is easier. The FAQ should answer most of your immediate questions. We aren't sure about the how often we will see internet cafes during our trip. So, expect a delayed reply!
And, for those impatient ones ;-) : +91 94498 35848.
Enjoy!
-- Shree & KP
FAQ
Why are you doing this? What's your mission?Shree: For World Peace, Women's Rights and AIDS Awareness. Just joking! We do it purely for fun & adventure.
KP: Well, I kind of think that it should be some higher purpose.. but can't think of any..
How do you manage to get so many holidays? We generally intimate our managers well in advance (that means an year in advance!). For the rest of the story, check with our managers...
How do you train for such trips ? How many kilometers a day do you intend to travel on an average ?Shree: I get up at 4 AM in the morning and pedal about 30 kms. In between, I run a round around Lalbagh (well-known botanical garden in Bangalore). Later, I go to office on my cycle - that adds another 20 kms. But that isn't the same as saying that I do it every day...
KP: I'm not that heavy to do that much training. just 30k a day fast does it. + office will add another 16k.
Look at this page for more details.
Shree: My previous trips had a per day average of 100+ kms. This time, the terrain and local conditions will be very different. Don't be surprised to see us average less that 80 a day.
Hey wait a minute, what about punctures? We are buying new cycles in Agartala. New cycles will mean new tubes. Hence the chances of puncture are low. However, we will be carrying a puncture kit and spare tubes this time.
Which cycle do you have ? What do you carry ? Where do you stay & what do you eat ? This trip will happen on a Hercules Omega. It's aluminium rims & cantilever brakes, we believe, will serve us well. Details of what's in our bags can be seen here here. We don't take any special food, just the local food. And no mineral water please, thank you!
How much will this trip cost? Shree: Ah - doon't remind me! Overall cost would be upward of 20 thousand rupees.
Do you know the dangers of the North-Eastern states ? Are you not scared ??Shree: There are a few dangers, yes, but I believe that most are more imaginary than real. The international border with Bangladesh, and Nagaland are deemed difficult areas. Our plan is to enquire about the local conditions and travel accordingly.
KP: Yes I'm scared.. but heck.. I'm even more scared to cycle on ring road and I do it daily.
Can I join you for this trip?Shree: For this trip, no. However, if you are that much of a freak, please do get in touch with us for the next trip. And don't forget to practise!
KP: Well I don't mind a party.. but you will have to look after yourself. + you have get to Agartala on Dec 10th.
How do you intend to update your blog ?Shree: Shh, don't tell anybody - I am carrying my laptop. We intend to blog on it daily and update the webpage when we get to any internet cafe.
KP: Thats a lot, Shree!
Have you arranged for a visa for Bhutan ?KP: Not needed.. more than Visa the worry is the climbing in Bhutan.. Some website says crossing Bhutan means more than 10000 meters of climbing. That's more than Mt. Everst! (although we also go down, devre, let the "brake" god be kind on us)
Are you married??KP: Yes I am!
Shree: What do you think??
What if you cycle breaks down? KP: Oops! Shree: We have a kit and KP is around too!
What motivates you folks to do this?KP: Sunrise, sunset and being in the middle of nowhere inbetween.
Shree: Haven't found out yet, maybe some day I will...
What do you take along? See the equipment list...
Won't it be cold in december
Yes it will be rather cold. See equipment list for what we do for that.
Why Omega?KP: Steel frame so that you can weld (God forbid it happens) . Also decent breaks and wheels. Hey thats all there is to a cycles! (plus the drive train of course)
What about Inner Line Permits? We will get them just before we enter the states which need one.
Where will you stay? Mostly hotels.
What does you wife think?KP: Too much.
What will be the weight of your baggage? About 10kg max...
How do you carry it Backpacks adapted as panniers...
Do you plan to camp? No plans...
What about high altitude?KP: Sing Govinda.. Shree will sing something else.. if we can have breath to sing that is.
That google-map based thingy is cool. Can I use it too?Shree:To get the map looking the way it is involves quite a bit of work. I have many scripts which handle our typical workflow & using these directly may be a pain. For more technical details, look at this page here. I am seeing a shortage of software tools tailored for adventurers & might do something to bring down the gap once I am back!
Where Are We Now?
In Bangalore! All the details of the tour are available here
11 Jan 2007: Oops! I had forgotten to update this page - we are back in Bangalore. We returned on the 3rd. More details here. Note that I am still updating the contents of the site...
18 Dec 2006: We are in Imphal! More details here
8 Dec 2006: Right now, very much in Bangalore! But check this page for a quick overview any day...
Gallery
Let the kilometers roll & results you shall see here!
